Las Vegas Lightning Strikes Hit The Strip

More than 740 cloud-to-ground lightning strikes hit Las Vegas over three hours as severe thunderstorms swept the area.

Heavy rains and 70 mph gusts of wind whipped through the valley, knocking down trees and utility poles and flooding parts of the famed Las Vegas Strip on Friday evening, according to the National Weather Service.

Several people needed rescuing from water near the Strip, according to the Clark County fire service.

There were 15 power outages affecting 33,000 people, including some resorts that were without electricity for several hours, according to NV Energy spokeswoman Kelley Mulroy.

The storm displaced up to 50 people from their homes and snapped trees in half with some falling onto apartment units, according to the Las Vegas Sun.

While the majority of Friday's storm was over before 10pm local time, the National Weather Service also issued a flash flood watch from Sunday afternoon through to Monday evening when thunderstorms may return and bring flooding to the region again.